


Sometimes, a family is temporary

by jello12451



Series: Sometimes, a family... [3]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Dream just wants a peaceful SMP to live in :/, Eret's betrayal, Family, Gen, Hurt Some Comfort, Loneliness, One very big and bad misunderstanding, WRITTEN PRE-WAR ON THE 16TH I SWEAR, angst kinda, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27591221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jello12451/pseuds/jello12451
Summary: Eret remembers building the walls of L’Manburg. He remembers gathering the blackstone, the yellow concrete, the iron bars, and laying each brick down, slowly but surely encircling the land he called a home.Note the past tense.
Relationships: Eret & Floris | Fundy & Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit & Wilbur Soot, Eret & Niki | Nihachu
Series: Sometimes, a family... [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2008114
Comments: 14
Kudos: 133





	Sometimes, a family is temporary

**Author's Note:**

> Eret content.  
> Written pre-war on the 16th lol  
> Edit: SAD-IST NEW ANIMATION POG LMAO IT'S AMAZING-  
> B A Z I N G A

Eret remembers building the walls of L’Manburg. He remembers gathering the blackstone, the yellow concrete, the iron bars, and laying each brick down, slowly but surely encircling the land he called a home.

Note the past tense.

~ 

He remembers the day he joined the SMP.

Dream had been slowly inviting more and more people into his world, and Eret found himself an invitation soon enough. He didn’t have much to do in his own worlds anyway, so why not move into an SMP?

He remembers spawning into the SMP. He remembers building.

Eret remembers meeting Wilbur Soot.

He had only been gathering the materials for his home, still mapping out his territory in this expansive world and starting to make his mark. The sound of a guitar lured him away from his tree-cutting.

Eret had immediately taken note of Wilbur’s sly kind of intelligence, and his loyal heart. He quickly found himself liking the way Wilbur talked, and his natural leadership.

He remembers meeting the rest of them. Tommy and Tubbo, Wilbur’s brothers. Fundy, Wilbur’s proclaimed son.

Perhaps that is why Eret agrees to starting L’Manburg with them.

Eret builds these walls. He builds them with his own hands, slowly but surely gathering the blackstone and concrete, so that they loom well over the land they encircle. Sometimes, the others come to help him, and they chat while Eret works. But in the end, these walls were built by Eret, and he’s proud of them. 

He still is, as torn apart as they are.

The walls represent much. They represent the part of Wilbur that wants to keep the rest of his people safe. They represent  _ history. _ They represent their independence. 

It’s jarring to think that this whole war started because Wilbur wanted to sell drugs. Or, potions, rather. He just calls them drugs.

It’s jarring to think that Dream is angry enough to declare a war on them.

Perhaps Dream would’ve been fine with it all if Wilbur hadn’t so blatantly declared their independence, even going as far as to draft a declaration. Perhaps that way, nothing would’ve changed.

Perhaps that way, Eret would still be laughing with the rest of L’Manburg.

But that is not what happens.

Wilbur writes a declaration of independence, and the Dream Team declares war.

Eret remembers the tense times right before the first death of the war. He remembers farming with Tubbo, and longs for those simple times. 

There was only so much to do, back then. Everything was so simple.

Back then, Eret believed in the side he stood for.

He grinded for better gear along with the others, training them in battle for the inevitable fights they would have. He built rooms and secret tunnels, making sure that should something go wrong, they would have a contingency plan. 

The war gets brutal quickly.

Dream makes it clear that he isn’t fooling around. The TNT cannons are loaded, and his swords and gear are fully enchanted. He points the blade with purpose, and so do Sapnap, George and Punz.

They have every single intention to win this war.

Tubbo and Tommy try to put a quick end to the war, attempting to trap them with the nether portal and an end crystal. Predictably, it doesn’t work.

The battle of the power tower comes and goes. No one will ever forget Tommy’s shaken look as he runs to L’Manburg, dying for the first time, nor will they forget Tubbo’s shouts of relief when he sees Tommy again.

When Tommy declares them as the fifth battalion, everyone swells with pride. The moment is short-lived, however, as the Dream Team has besieged L’Manburg.

The walls are the only thing keeping them apart, and Eret is grateful for them.

The Battle of the Embassy comes and goes, and once again, the Dream Team uses explosives to their advantage. Even though they are quickly made aware that the battle is a trap, they don’t have time to escape.

Except for Eret.

Eret lives.

Eret lives, and he meets Dream alone.

~

The Battle of the Two Towers marks L’Manburg’s first victory. However, no one seems to be able to read Eret’s expression as he surveys the celebrating group. 

They regroup in L’Manburg, and Eret leads them into the final control room.

~

_ What do you want, Dream? _

_ Well, I don’t want this war either. You know this. _

_ Then why did you start it? You could’ve just let us have our independence! _

_ No. Don’t you see? Everything was going along just fine until you lot came along. I claimed this world because I wanted a world for my family to live in happily. But another nation in the same SMP will cause problems.  _

_ Shut up. _

_ I fight for my family, Eret. Are you doing the same? _

_ Yes! Of course I am! _

_ No, Eret, you are not. This isn’t your family. Perhaps they were, once upon a time, but they stopped being your family the moment Fundy became Wilbur’s son. The moment they left you alone. _

~

“Down with the revolution, boys.”

Eret’s words are like sand in his mouth as he sees the looks of disbelief on his former allies’ faces.

“It was never meant to be.”

~

_ Family doesn’t end in that. _

_ You know it too. But Wilbur is not that kind of person. If Wilbur had to choose between Tommy and L’Manburg, he would choose Tommy. You’re different. You would be sacrificed in a heartbeat. _

_ Shut UP! You tyrant, you- _

_ It’s so easy to paint me as a tyrant, isn’t it, Eret? It’s so easy. Wilbur has always had a gift for words- often I wonder where that gift came from. _

_ Stop trying to get into my head! _

_ Don’t you see? There isn’t any right or wrong. I’m fighting so that my family can keep its peace. You’re fighting because you see Wilbur as a leader.  _

~

“Eret, how could you?”

“Eret I farmed with you for hours!”

“Eret, listen to me, and I mean this in the nicest way possible.  _ You fucked up. _ ”

~

_ What do you want from me? _

_ I want you… to betray them. Lead them into a room. Let us kill them. This is what you want, isn’t it? An end to the war. _

_ … That’s not all, is it? _

_ You’re smart. No, I want you to rig L’Manburg. _

~

“YOU BASTARD ERET, YOU- WE TRUSTED YOU!”

~

_ You’re insane. _

_ Maybe I am. _

_ You’re insane- what- what makes you think I’ll agree to that? _

_ I have my reasons. _

_ What would I get out of that? My walls, destroyed, my friends, dead. _

_ See? You’re already calling them your friends, and not your family. _

~

Eret rigs L’Manburg. It’s painful for him to listen to Tommy and Tubbo’s shouts, to Wilbur’s pained cries and to Fundy’s screams. 

The worst part is that he doesn’t know if he regrets it or not.

~

_ I can make you a king on the SMP. You can rule your own kingdom. _

_ A kingdom of what? Of betrayal? _

_ We both want this war to end. And the war will end if Wilbur loses, won’t it? _

~

Eret watches bitterly from the sidelines as he looks at a duel whose result was decided from the start. The masked one smirks behind his mask as he draws his arrow, so sure of himself.

Tommy clenches his bow tightly. Eret can see the white knuckles, even from up here.

One disc is lost.

~

_ I agree. On one condition. _

_ Name it. _

_ You will not let any of them permadie. _

_ What do you think I am? Mad? _

_ Yes. _

_ Fair enough. _

~

Tommy makes a deal.

Both discs are lost, in exchange for L’Manburg’s independence.

Eret can’t say he isn’t surprised.

~

_ Why? _

_ Eret, you realize that I would’ve just granted you independence if you just said you’d keep to yourselves, right?  _

_...What? _

_ WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME? WE COULD’VE STOPPED ALL OF THIS! _

~

Eret regrets.

Not the betrayal.

He regrets not telling Dream.

Time passes. While Eret builds an empty castle to rule, L’Manburg invites new people to become their citizens. Slowly, he makes amends.

Even though his name is reviled within the borders of L’Manburg, Niki approaches him nonetheless. 

It’s in front of Niki that Eret becomes the most vulnerable. He cries his regrets, his apologies, and all he wished he could say to Wilbur and Tommy and Tubbo and Fundy.

Niki does nothing but offer comfort. Eret is glad.

It’s part of why he visits her bakery so often, even if he will get passing glares from the other citizens of L’Manburg.

It’s also why he holds her back when she screams at Fundy and her burning flag.

~

“FUNDY, YOU BASTARD!”

~

And it’s why he doesn’t tell Niki of Fundy’s plan.

He doesn’t think that Niki could handle it. 

Niki has every right to hate Fundy, and Eret will not make her more conflicted than she already is.

~

When Eret sees the walls torn down, his pride goes with those bricks. Eret already has his mind set on helping Pogtopia, wherever they are.

It doesn’t mean that he’s allowed to help, but he’ll wait.

Schlatt will  _ pay. _

~

Tubbo forgives him. Eventually, the boy seeks comfort, and Eret is always there. Despite his betrayal.

When Eret sees the trust in Tubbo’s eyes, his heart lifts a little with hope. Perhaps not everything was lost. Perhaps he could…

Eret shakes himself from the fantasy. With what he’s heard about Wilbur’s deteriorating state, it’s unlikely that Wilbur will ever forgive him.

~

Surprisingly, Tommy comes around as well.

Perhaps Eret should’ve expected it the moment Tubbo came to him, but he is surprised nonetheless when the blue-eyed teen awkwardly passes a wave to him on the way to Niki’s bakery. 

Well. All that’s left is Wilbur.

~

It’s hard to talk to Wilbur not only because of Wilbur himself, but the rest of his family. 

Technoblade is  _ scary _ when he wants to be, and Eret definitely doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of that netherite blade in particular.

Although Philza Minecraft doesn’t go onto the Dream SMP often, he’s heard all about the hardcore player. He has no doubt that Phil would get back the moment he caught wind of what was actually going on in the Dream SMP.

Eret wonders why Wilbur’s family doesn’t inform Phil.

But it isn’t his place to ask.

~

Eret sits alone in his grand castle, and he reflects. 

He has long since resigned himself to the position he holds in everyone’s hearts. Eret will never be a part of L’Manburg’s family ever again, despite what he’s done and what he’s trying to do for them.

Sometimes, you don’t get forgiven. Sometimes, your ending isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

Eret sits on his throne and listens to the L’Manburg anthem, flinching ever so slightly at the curse where his name should be.

Eret sits on his throne and watches the battle pass, unable to do anything but look on in helplessness.

Eret sits on his throne and wonders why everything went wrong. Why a single misunderstanding led him to this loneliness he feels now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos make my day
> 
> My YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHHEpmzIrOYyxX659-3tfA  
> My discord server: https://discord.gg/HwbkW8jqrf


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